If a user wants to register a domain name, the user may contact a registrar to register the domain name. The registrar may send the necessary domain name server (DNS) information to a registry. DNS is part of the Internet infrastructure that may translate readable domain names into Internet Protocol (IP) numbers for establishing TCP/IP communication over the Internet. DNS may allow users to refer to websites using the domain names (e.g., “www.example.com”) rather than the numeric IP addresses associated with each website and assigned to computers on the Internet. Each domain name may be made up of a series of character strings separated by dots. In addition, each IP address may be hosted by a corresponding server.
The registry may receive the DNS information, insert the information into a database, and transmit the information in Internet zone files so that domain names can be found by users. The registrar may check the availability of the requested domain name and inform the user if the domain name is available. If the domain name is available, the user may register the domain name for a period of time (e.g., one year). Upon registration, the domain name may be linked to a website. For example, the website “www.example.com” may be associated with the example.com domain. The domain name may be used to identify computer systems on the Internet.
At the end of the registration period, the user may renew the domain name for another period of time or may cancel the registration. If the user renews, nothing changes, and the user may continue using the domain name. However, if the user does not renew, the registration may expire and other users may obtain the expired domain name.
Entities that sell domain names need to understand how a domain name is used, thereby providing an indication of how a user of a domain name may value the domain name. Accordingly, there is a need to know the status of domain names to determine if a domain name is active or expired, and, if a domain name is expired, if the expired domain name is parked and stockpiled by a registrar. To address these needs, systems and methods are needed to detect the stockpiling of domain names.